Polypipe Terrain installed throughout new hospital

Polypipe Terrain, the UK’s leading plastic piping systems manufacturer, has been specified throughout a new £335 million pound hospital development in Liverpool.

PVC Vent and Waste Pipes, Terrain FUZE HDPE and Terrain Dilution Traps have been installed in the most sensitive areas of The Royal Liverpool University Hospital, including, above theatres, scanners and in the Accident & Emergency Department.

The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest single bed hospital in the country, with 646 beds, including a 40 bed critical care unit, 18 operating theatres and one of the largest emergency departments in the North West. With an abundance of expensive equipment and machinery, it was of paramount importance to main contractor, Carillion, that the drainage throughout the hospital could be trusted.

Initially, an order of Polypipe Terrain PVC was placed to provide secondary stack ventilation throughout the hospital. After this successful installation, Polypipe Terrain FUZE HDPE was selected as a modern alternative to the cast iron system already specified, providing expert drainage throughout. With patients in theatre and A&E highly vulnerable, it was paramount that the drainage system could be installed and trusted not to leak.

Using electrofusion jointing, Polypipe Terrain FUZE HDPE ensures system integrity as the weld area is as strong as the host area. This was an important consideration for The Royal Liverpool University Hospital as any leaks could result in the damage of life saving, and incredibly expensive machinery.

Polypipe Terrain also worked with Carillion in providing an alternative to the system and dilution traps which had already been specified in the Science and Research Building. Terrain FUZE HDPE and Terrain PVC Dilution Traps were used throughout the development, allowing for a quicker and easier installation. Dilution Traps were a requirement throughout the project as any chemical waste water needed to be properly diluted before being reintroduced into the waste water drainage.

Providing longevity and leak free solutions was the key consideration for both Carillion and the hospital, the sustainability of the project was also of great importance. Polypipe Terrain is BES 6001 accredited, meaning that both suppliers and the company are committed to producing materials that are environmentally considerate. Polypipe Terrain was able to demonstrate that its cutting edge research into PVC and plastics not only improves its manufacturing, but also its impact on the environment.

Polypipe Terrain products and systems are backed by a comprehensive technical support service offering a single source from which specifiers can obtain all commercial drainage and water management requirements. Polypipe Terrain’s complete range of solutions, combined with the expertise of its team, meant that The Royal Liverpool University Hospital was supplied with the most trusted, cost effective and environmentally friendly drainage solution available.

Ian Crickmore, Technical Director at Polypipe Terrain, said: “The installation at Royal Liverpool University Hospital was an incredibly sensitive job, with the drainage surrounding life-saving machines. We were able to provide the hospital with a technical support service and ultimately supply the hospital with a cost effective and environmentally friendly drainage system they could trust.”

Simon Webb, Managing Director of the project at Carillion, said: “Polypipe Terrain was initially only supplied for a few sections of the hospital drainage system. After a quick installation using electrofusion jointing, Terrain FUZE HDPE was specified as a modern replacement to the cast iron originally specified. We enjoy working with Polypipe Terrain on projects like this, and hope to continue working with them in the future.”